Anupamaa: What makes the show a trendsetter at a time when TV stereotypes continue to exist

Who would have thought that the story of a middle-aged woman will take the TV industry by a storm? It was Rajan and Deepa Shahi's vision to create a show that reflected the Indian household at large and that's how "Anupamaa" was conceptualised. The show went on-air on July 13, 2020, and since then it has been topping TRP charts across all Hindi GECs. The relatable storyline and the characters became the USP of the show so much so that many shows took inspiration from it and got similar characters in their stories, some that were already on-air and some which are in the pipeline. But "Anupamaa" will always be "Anupamaa" and no one can replace it, and here are five reasons why the show will always be the OG trendsetter. 

The titular character: A 40 plus woman made her family her world, no matter how disrespectful they are towards her, she balances it out with her love and dedication. She had dreamt of becoming an independent woman, but she gave her family the first priority and focused on them. But then there came a point when she realised enough is enough and that if she doesn't fight for herself no one will. She then with the help of her college friend is working on a project to create livelihoods for other women like her who suppressed their dreams for their families or those who never got the opportunity. This was probably the first time the main lead of a show was a middle-aged woman with three kids and since then we have seen many shows which have taken inspiration from the titular character one way or the other. 

Quashing taboos made by the society: Be it divorce, extra-marital affair, eve-teasing, second marriage, becoming a working woman, daughter-in-law getting treated like a daughter, in-laws giving a share in the property to daughter-in-law, or just plain and simple letting a daughter-in-law voice out her opinion, the show in its own unique way has proved how wrong the society sometimes become when it comes to a woman and if and when any above-mentioned issue arises, it should be handled together like a family. Of late there are many shows which have dealt with such issues taking ideas from the OG "Anupamaa". 

Relationship values: Indian TV shows are all about relationships and family values, but in "Anupamaa" relationships are worshipped. They are considered to be the foundation of an individual and are given priority over everything else in the world. Even when a negative character in the show needs help, everyone is there for them. Taking a cue from this a lot of shows have started to establish such strong relationship values. 

Anuj Kapadia: Anuj came as a breath of fresh air in the show. He is handsome, successful and his ideologies are unlike any Indian men. He is not only supportive of Anupamaa because he loves her, but also because he respects her opinions and believes in her. Well, you might have noticed some new handsome, rich, understanding male characters recently coming on-board in some TV shows. It only leaves us wondering where we have seen a similar character. 

Vanraj Shah: Saving the best for the last. Vanraj Shah is one of the USPs of the show. He is not entirely a male-chauvinist but he just couldn't tolerate his wife (now ex-wife) garnering praises or becoming successful and independent. He wanted to keep dominating her as long as he could but in between when he realized that she was the one for him, he just wanted her back. However, when she rejected him, he went on to become his old self. What we love about Vanraj is he is a very complicated character, someone who knows what he wants but his big ego stops him from saying so. He is not entirely negative or positive and neither is he grey, he has his moments which the audience loves, and we will be lying if we haven't come across a complex character like him in other shows too.